Friction hinge



E. M. MEYER FRICTION HINGE April 24, 1934.

Filed Feb. 5. 1932 Patented Apr. 24, 1934 UNETEE STATES FRICTION HINGEEdwin M. Meyer, Parkersburg, W. Va., assignor to Porcelain Products,End, Findlay, Ohio Application February 5, 1932, Serial No. 591,154

8 Claims.

"The invention which -ishere described, relates to improvements inhinges for the covers for doors of receptacles or housings. Theinvention is of particular advantage for the covers for doors ofporcelain casings for high tension switches, cutouts or fuses.

These casings orhousings are generally made of porcelain and somespecial facility must be provided to permit convenient operation of thehinged door without deterioration or undue wear on either the parts ofthe hinge or the porcelain of which the casing and door is made.

Usually the hinge of the cover takes the form of a pair of oppositelydisposed conical pivot or journals which are anchored in the housing orcasing and extend into conical recesses in the door or housing. The doorswings around these conical members and in frictional engagement withthem. This type of hinge is subject to considerable deterioration andwear on the part of the conical pins and the use of porcelain frictionsurfaces has been found undesirable.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a combination of partsin which the porcelain of the casing and of the door is protected fromfrictional wear.

A further object of my invention is to provide novel means by which thecover is journalled on the housing but without frictional contacttherewith. i

It is also an object of my invention to provide means for maintainingthe normal desired spacing of the porcelain cover centrally of the open-"ing of the casing.

Among the objects of my invention is also a provision of a floatingpivot which will yield resiliently in the movement of the cover but willhold the latter in any adjusted position by means of frictional tension.

The novel arrangement of parts also provides for ease in assembly,certainty of adjustment in position and economy of manufacture.

As illustrating my invention I have shown its preferred form in theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical view partly in section, of a hinged cover;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the housing,

and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. l.

I have illustrated diagrammatically the usual housing or casing 4 of atransformer cutout or switch. This housing forms the stationary or fixedmember of the hinged connection and has at one end a pair of parallelspaced extensions 5, 5 extending below the bottom of the casing.

Each extension 5 is transversely bored to provide an opening 6 ofconvenient diameter. The outer end of the opening 6 is enlarged to forma counterbore 7 having a fiat bottom wall as shown in Fig. 1. Theopenings 6 have a common longitudinal axis or may be said to be alinedwith each other. The cover 8 forms the relatively movable member of thehinged connection and is of the same general dimensions as the casing 4and has a central extension 9 which is adapted to fit between theextensions 5, 5 as shown in Fig. 1. This extension 9 has a transverseopening 10 formed of two flaring portions 11, 11 having a common axisand their smaller ends meeting within the extension 9. While I haveindicated these portions 11, as conical it will of course be evidentthat any convenient shapemay be given them. The main consideration isthat they form seats to hold firmly the operative parts 'of the'hinge.

Both the casing 4 and the cover 8 are formed of porcelain ware or otherconvenient material which may be molded or otherwise shaped in the formabove described.

The recesses 11, 11 are adapted to receive a pair of hinge membersillustrated in the drawing as the sleeves 12, 12. These sleeves are ofnon-corrosive metal or other suitable material which is free fromliability of damage from the weather or other operating influences. Itis necessary that these sleeves have considerable mechanical strengthand offer considerable friction without wear. The sleeves are shown tohave one tapered end which is adapted for firm engagement with thesloping walls 11, 11 and without movement relative to the walls duringthe operation of the hinge. e

The opposite end of each sleeve is extended as shown in 13 to formshoulders or abutments beyond the side surfaces of the extension 9.

The sleeves have openings through their center and these openings areenlarged as shown at 14.

A screw-threaded rod 15 runs through the axis of the recesses 11 andinto the extensions 5, 5. This rod fits loosely within the openings ofthe sleeves 12, 12.

Each bore 6 carries an internally screw-threaded hinge pin 16. The hingepin 16 has a flat head 1'7 adapted to rest firmly against the bottomwall in the recess 7. The screw-head 17 has a kerf 18 by which the screwmay be drawn over the rod 15. It will be evident that as the two screws16, 16 are drawn up over the rod 15 the head 1'7, 1'7

will be brought tightly against the bottom Walls of the recesses 7, 7and the hinge pins will, therefore, be seated firmly in the positionshown. The outer surfaces of the shanks 19 of the hinge pins form abearing for the enlarged shoulders 13 of the sleeves 12. As shown at theright of Fig. 1 these sleeves can move freely over the hinge pins eitherlongitudinally or circumferentially of the latter.

In order to center the extension 9 between the extensions 5, 5 there isprovided on each shank 19 a helical compression spring 20. One end ofthis spring 20 rests against the head 17 of the hinge pin while theopposite end of the spring bears frictionally against the abutmentshoulder 13 or the sleeves 12. In this way the equalizing tensionimposed by the two springs 20 serves to center the extension 9 betweenthe extensions 5, 5.

The tension exerted by the compression springs 20 when the hinge pinsare screwed up tight on the rod 15 and against the bottom walls of therecesses '7 is sufficient to exert sufficient frictional tension on theabutments 13 to hold the sleeves 12 and consequently the cover 8 in anyposition to which the latter is moved. Nevertheless, manual adjustmentof the cover 8 will readily overcome the frictional engagement betweenthe springs 20 and the abutments 13 thus permitting the desired movementof the cover 8.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have provided ahinge which avoids the use of any of the porcelain surfaces forfrictional sliding engagement. It will also be evident that means areprovided for equalizing the frictional engagement on each end of thehinge and that the sleeves 13 are free to adjust themselves along thehinge pins subject only to the tension imposed by the springs 20. Inthis Way the porce lain parts may be formed to rough dimensions withoutthe necessity of providing precise bearing surfaces. The sleeves 12 arefirmly gripped by the cover and in turn are capable of free movementaround the hinge pins. The frictional sliding surfaces are limited tothe end 13 of the sleeves and this promotes the stability and long wearof the device.

While I have shown one form in which my invention may be embodied, itwill, however, be apparent that many modifications and changes in minordetails will comprehend within the scope 'of the invention as defined inthe appended 2. A hinge adapted for use with a housing, opposed alinedhinge pins therefor adapted to be carried by the housing, said pinsbeing internally screw-threaded, a tie rod screw-threaded to said hingepins and hollow journal members carried by the cover and surrounding thetie rod and the ends of the hinge pins.

3. A hinge adapted for use with a housing and a cover, opposed alinedhinge pins having heads and adapted to be fixedly carried by thehousing, a tie rod connecting said hinge pins, hollow journal memberscarried by the cover and surrounding the tie rod and loosely journaledon the ends of the hinge pins and equalizing members on the hinge pinsbetween the journal members and the heads of the hinge pins.

4. A hinge adapted for use with a housing and a cover, opposed alinedhinge pins on the housing, a tie rod drawing together said pins, alinedsleeves carried by the cover loosely journalled over the ends of thehinge pins and means carried on the pins for applying pressure againstthe ends of the sleeves.

5. A hinge adapted for use with a housing and a cover, opposed alinedhinge pins on the housing, a tie rod drawing together said pins, alinedsleeves carried by the cover loosely journalled over the ends of thehinge pins for movement both radially and axially relatively to thehousing and means carried on the pins for exerting frictional engagementagainst the said sleeves.

6. A hinge adapted for use with a housing and a cover, opposed alinedhinge pins having heads and being adapted for mounting in fixed positionon the housing, a tie rod drawing together said pins, alined conicalsleeves carried by the cover and loosely journalled over the ends of thehinge pins for movement relative thereto both axially and radially and ahelical compression spring on each hinge pin between the head thereofand the ad jacent end of a movable sleeve.

'7. Means for pivotally mounting a frangible cover on a frangiblehousing, comprising a pair of opposed alined hinge pins carried on thehousing, a tie-rod connecting said pins, a pair of hollow journalmembers frietionally seated within the cover and rotatable therewith,said members loosely surrounding the tie-rod and being journaled on thehinge pins and springs on the hinge pins acting against the ends of saidjournal members.

3. A hinge comprising a pair of opposed fixed hinge-pins with enlargedheads and internally screwthreaded shanks, a tie-rod screw-threadedbetween said shanks, helical springs loosely carried on said shanks,hollow journal members loose- 1y mounted on said tie-rod and extensionson said members overlying the shanks of the hinge-pins and abutting thesaid springs.

EDWIN M. MEYER.

